5 Sources of Targeted Email Leads

With a low barrier to entry and potential ROI of over 4,000 percent, email marketing is still one of the most efficient ways to nurture sales leads down the buying funnel.

But many email marketers struggle with the same problem: how do I ensure that my emails are targeted to people who will actually read them? It’s not enough to buy a list of names and send out an email blast hoping that someone will be interested – you have to ensure that your leads are targeted and your marketing message is about something that matters to them.

Here are five ways to gather email leads that are a fit for your specific offering:

Trade shows

Trade shows are a great place to find people interested in what you offer, because everyone at a trade show is tied together by at least one common thread – they use a particular software, sell a particular type of product, etc. If you want to find the most targeted leads possible, don’t just collect business cards and lump everyone together in a mailing list – make actual connections with people. Not only will you be more likely to build relationships with attendees, they will remember you better when you send them email them in the future.

Browse industry publications and articles

Lots of people read blogs, magazines and other news sources to keep up with happenings in their field. But did you know that these resources can be a good place to find targeted leads? Check out comment threads and discussion forums in particular to search for people whose interests align with your offering. If they mention a specific problem they are having, you can use that knowledge to even further personalize your email message, increasing the likelihood that they will pay attention.

A professional lead generation service

The emphasis here is on “professional.” You can’t just find the company that will sell you the largest amount of names for the lowest price. Be certain that your lead gen provider has a good reputation, answers your questions, and is transparent with you about how they find quality, relevant leads for your business. You can learn more about choosing the right B2B lead generation companies here.

Your existing prospect database

It might seem counterintuitive, but there’s a good chance you already have a list of leads who might be interested in your offering – your existing email database and prospects. Go through your CRM and look for records of prospects who once showed interest but fell off the map for some reason. Experiment with doing some outreach to these people and see if you can reignite their interest – you won’t always be able to revive a dormant lead, but you might also come across people who are still suffering from the problem your offering solves.

The “X-factor”

This source of leads isn’t one specific place or strategy – instead it refers to some characteristic or attribute shared by almost every prospect or client of your company. For example, maybe your demographic slants heavily towards women, or perhaps 90% of your clients are Mac users. It might take some time to identify your company’s X-factor, but once you do it will help tremendously with finding targeted leads.